The silence at the dining table was deafening. Aegon sat there, lost in thought, as he mindlessly swirled his wine around in the glass. With a nonchalant shrug, he spoke up suddenly, "I've been thinking about marriage." The room fell silent, everyone now staring at him in utter shock.
His mother, Queen Alicent Hightower, nearly dropped her fork, her face turning pale. "Marriage?" her voice choked out, surprise written all over her face. His father, King Viserys I, looked at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. Few seconds later Viserys and Alicent's initial shock soon began to subside and turn into a subtle sense of satisfaction and pride. After a brief moment of silent surprise, Viserys spoke up, "Marriage, you say, son?" His voice held a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
Alicent, still trying to compose herself, chimed in as well, "Yes, Aegon, this is quite unexpected. Pray tell, what brought on this decision?" Despite their surprise, they both secretly hoped that their son's declaration was a sign of him finally taking on more responsibility and perhaps maturing.